Focused
Relaxation Takes Practice |
By Marty Calliham, L.Ac.
Hello, friends of Peaceful Village Acupuncture!
Focused relaxation. My latest new phrase. Does it sound like
a contradiction in terms?
In some ways, it could be. Yet, I’ve found
in my own experience that relaxation by itself, in the way we
usually define it, often fails to achieve it’s aim –
that of restoring and renewing us.
Relaxation, in the popular sense, can mean anything
from reading, to television watching, to napping, to eating
out, to having a conversation. There’s nothing wrong with
any of these activities. But I can spend hours doing these things
(even sleeping) and feel just as tired in mind and body as I
when I began.
So, for me, some method of focusing the mind,
along with relaxing the body, is a more effective approach to
renewing myself.
What are some ways of focusing the mind? It
helps to start out by just taking inventory. Ask yourself, “How
am I doing?” “How am I feeling?” “What
do I need right now?” If I’m hungry, I can eat;
if tired, slow down; or if irritable, breathe slowly and deeply
or change the activity. Getting out of “automatic pilot”
and coming back to my senses is the first step. I can do this
between work shifts, before and after driving my car, and throughout
the day.
Marty
Peaceful Village Acupuncture now has a blog!
You are invited to visit the new blog at www.peacefulvillageacupuncture.blogspot.com
and give me your comments! One exception – please
don't write private medical information there. Private
medical questions should be handled between the two of us by
telephone, (512) 416-7600. I hope we can create community through
this blog, encouraging each other to respect our health as a
part of living into our life's purpose.
Thank you again for referring
your friends, co-workers and family members to Peaceful Village
Acupuncture! Let me know if you have questions or if I
can assist you in any way. Together we can help create
a healthy and peaceful world!
Your acupuncturist,
Marty Calliham
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